Passenger Advocates at Security Screening?

"Two New York lawmakers have called for a passenger advocate at airports to immediately act on complaints by passengers over security screenings." That's the lede in an Associated Press story that ran over the weekend. A New York state senator, and U.S. senator Charles Schumer, want the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to create the position at all airports with screening check points. The lawmakers are probably reacting to the steady trickle of passenger complaints that have received national attention.

Two of the most recent ones involve an elderly woman who says she was strip searched, and a young woman who was toting a purse with a gun-shaped applique. Here's an entertaining quote about the purse incident from gawker.com: